Sweden
Luxury Holidays

Sweden is categorically cool. A trailblazer when it comes to fashion, lifestyle and music, it’s surprising that we don’t hear more from Europe’s fifth biggest country. While it’s most likely because of Jantelagen (Scandinavia’s unwritten rule of ‘no one being better than anyone else’), we’re more than happy to boast about our Sweden luxury holidays on their behalf. If traditional Falu Rödfärg (Falun Red) coloured cottages flanked by swathes of emerald-green forests spring to mind, or colourful cities that blend together past and present beautifully, you’re already there. Hunker down in Sweden’s storybook capital where royal palaces and elegant side streets weave over azure archipelagos, and morning fika coffee breaks always come with a generous helping of buttery Skagen toast topped with creamy shrimp. Or you could gorge on Gothenburg – Stockholm’s chilled-out younger sister – where fresh herring forms part of your five-a-day and grand neoclassical buildings shelter streets dotted with quietly cool bars and contemporary art exhibits.

If Sweden luxury holidays concoct visions of remote arctic tundra flaked with inviting igloos, a night or two in an opulent ice hotel will fulfil your frosty fantasy. Enjoy Michelin-star meals and a complimentary bottle of champagne on arrival and wake up (in a thermal sleeping bag and plenty of layers of course) to the sweet smell of hot lingonberry juice in the morning. Lose yourself in the remote and rugged Dalarna landscape, where wolves run wild and bashful brown bears play hide and seek with lone cross-country skiers, on an exhilarating snow mobile or dog sledding safari. Or watch on from the comfort of your charming and bucolic guesthouse, high up in the region’s rolling hills overlooking the serene Lake Siljan.

The thing about Sweden luxury holidays is that they really demand you slow down and take stock. From tree saunas and snow baths to dinners under the green hue of the Northern Lights, Sweden offers a smorgasbord of unforgettable activities. Speaking of smorgasbords, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else that puts a spread on quite like the Swedes. Sink your teeth into dizzying assortments of rye bread, cured meats, pickled fish and more, and question why the nation practices the philosophy of Lagom (“in moderation”).